"Costa Rica opposition group says to scrap 2021 carbon neutrality target," reads the headline of a recent Reuters news article. Standing on its own, the headline is accurate. However, lacking context, it could be misleading, causing readers who don’t venture beyond the headline to conclude that Costa Rica will be dropping its goal of achieving carbon neutrality completely.

To the contrary, PAC doesn't intend to drop Costa Rica’s carbon neutrality goal; the party believes the Central American country just needs more time to achieve it. Already a world leader when it comes to low carbon emissions and the use of renewable energy, further gains are harder to come by, particularly when it comes to transportation and diversifying its renewable energy base.

Achieving national carbon neutrality

Costa Rica is already one of the world’s low-carbon and renewable energy leaders, as well as being at the forefront of nations when it comes to ecosystems and biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. The first is thanks in large part to an abundance of hydro and geothermal power, Costa Rica’s leaders appear steadfast in their commitment to broaden and diversify the country’s clean, renewable energy base and to become the world’s first completely carbon-neutral society.